


Fourth Saturday

by Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan



Category: NCIS
Genre: Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2020-11-28 05:00:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20960879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan/pseuds/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan
Summary: Tony spends part of the day with his daughters on the fourth Saturday of every other month. Meanwhile Ziva and her sons have time together. Part of the "You Complete Me" universe





	1. Abba and the Twins - August 2025

Fourth Saturday

_Tony spends the part of the day with his daughters on the fourth Saturday of every other month. Meanwhile Ziva and her sons have time together._

Chapter 1 – Abba and the Twins – August 2025

"Hurry up, Abba!" Beth and Rivka pulled at their father's hands as the three of them crossed the parking lot to the Party Center. Both girls were excited for the day's activity with their Abba; he had found a princess-themed tea party. Tali had begged out of the usual fourth Saturday with Abba, saying that she really wasn't into the princess thing any more. Tony didn't argue with his eleven-year-old, knowing that she had different tastes and interests from her five-year-old sisters. The two had agreed to go to a movie later in the day.

"Three for DiNozzo," Tony told the receptionist. "The princess tea party at 1100."

The woman looked at him and then at the two excited little girls holding his hands, "We don't get many fathers for the princess tea party. Just warning you…" She looked up their reservation on her computer, printed their wrist bands and handed the bands to Tony. "You have the full package; your wrist bands will allow you access to the party room, the costume rooms, and the photography room. Enjoy!"

Tony put the wrist bands on the girls and then fastened his own around his right wrist. "Let's go find our costumes!"

"I want a pink princess dress, Abba," Beth jumped up and down as they walked in the direction indicated on the signs on the walls. "With lots of sparklies and maybe even a crown."

Rivka skipped alongside her Abba and sister; "I want either blue or purple for my dress. And I want princess shoes with sparkles. Abba, are you going to dress as a princess, too?"

Tony smiled, "I think I should be a prince, don't you?"

"Yeah, Abba, boys are princes," Beth grinned at her sister. "Abba would look silly in a dress."

"But he COULD be a princess if he wanted to, right Abba?" Rivka insisted.

"I guess I could," Tony secretly hoped his number two mini-ninja forgot that idea quickly. He really could not see himself donning a princess dress any time in this lifetime.

At the costume room, there were all kinds of princess dresses in many sizes for the girls to choose from; Beth found her pink dress with sparkles quickly and Tony helped her put it on over her t-shirt and shorts. He sent her in the direction of the box with the crowns and jewels so he could help Rivka with her chosen dress.

"Abba, it's my favorite color blue!" Rivka was jumping excitedly. "And it has lots of ribbons and sparkles!" She squirmed as Tony tried to put the dress on her.

"Hold still, please, Riv," Tony sighed. "It's hard to help you get your dress on if you're moving around." He finally managed to get the Velcro fasteners attached and he sent Rivka over to the box of crowns and jewels with her sister.

He noticed a rack that was labelled "Prince Costumes," and headed towards it. Another father was taking pants, a shirt, and a jacket off the rack.

"So you got roped into this too?" the other man nodded at Tony. "I would much rather be chilling on the deck with a beer!"

Tony looked the guy over; probably late twenties, a millennial. His daughter was grabbing crowns from the other girls and then not sharing even if she didn't want the crown. "Actually, I found this when searching online for something my girls would love to do. It was my idea to sign up for the tea party today."

"Grandfather?"

Tony got that comment a lot from younger parents; he had learned to have a thick skin about being confused for his kids' grandparent. He was about to answer when Beth came over.

"Abba, that girl in the red dress is being mean. She won't share with anyone!" Beth put a hand on her hip and scowled. Tony almost laughed at how much his mini-ninja number three looked like her Ima with the stance she had taken.

"Abba?" the younger man asked.

"Hebrew for Dad," Tony replied and took Beth's hand. He walked over with her to the box of crowns. "Which one do you want, Beth?"

"The one with the pink jewels, Abba," she pointed at the crown lying on a table. Tony picked it up off the table and handed it to his youngest daughter. "Toda, Abba.'

"Rivka, which crown do you want?" Tony turned to his number two mini-ninja.

Riv looked over the selection and pointed to one with bright blue jewels. "That one, Abba." Tony put it on her head and grinned. "Toda, Abba."

"Okay, now let me get my costume and we'll be set to go," Tony walked back over to the rack of prince costumes. He started rummaging through the selection; everything on the rack was too small for him! The younger guy smirked at Tony as he adjusted the vest and jacket he had put on over a shirt and pants.

"Guess you'll have to be a princess, Abba," he said sarcastically. "Think you can handle it?"

Tony resisted the urge to deck the guy and bit his tongue. No need telling the guy he was an ass; it would be wasted breath. Tony walked over to the rack of larger sized dresses. He found a purple satin princess dress that looked as though it would fit over his shorts and polo. There was no way he was going to let the jerk guy get the best of him; he would wear the princess dress and enjoy the tea party.

Rivka noticed her Abba putting on the purple dress and nudged her twin, "See, I TOLD you Abba could be a princess!" She pointed at her father. "A purple princess!"

Beth giggled and moved over to Tony with Rivka right behind. "Can I tell Ima that you wore a princess dress, Abba?"

Tony swallowed hard and gulped; there would be no way he could swear the twins to secrecy about him donning a dress for the princess tea party! Ziva would be doubled over in laughter if she were here. "I guess…"

"Where's your phone, Abba? I can take a picture," Rivka offered.

"We'll get pictures with all of us dressed up in the photo studio," Tony replied. When he saw the pout on his daughter's face, he relented and handed her his phone. She took a picture of her Abba in the purple dress, and then pressed the message app.

"How do you send this to Ima?" Tony groaned but he helped his little girl send the image to her Ima. He could hear the laughter on the other end in his head already. The more he thought about it, though, the more he was determined that if it made his girls happy, then he'd wear a purple princess dress without complaint.

"Time for tea!" the hostess announced to everyone in the costume room. "This way, please." She led the parents and children to the party room where places were set for tea party at round tables for eight. Tony found the place card for the three DiNozzos.

He pulled out two chairs for the girls, "Your seats, my princesses." He grinned at his mini-ninjas, getting matching grins in return. The smiles on his girls were so worth it. One of the things he really loved about the whole fourth Saturday idea was that he got to spend time with his girls and make memories that he hoped they would carry with them for life. He wasn't sure who looked forward to the special time together more; him or the girls. Or Ziva and the boys.

"Abba, why do we have all these forks and spoons and two knives?" Beth was trying to count how many of each utensil they had.

"Abba, do we get real tea?" Rivka noticed the tea cups at each place.

Tony was about to answer the girls when three more people sat down at their table; a mother with her two daughters. One girl looked to be about six and the other was about three.

"Hi," Rivka looked at the newcomers. "I'm Rivka; what's your name?"

The younger girl smiled at Rivka, "I'm Emma; I am three."

The older girl smiled shyly as her sister continued, "My big sister is Jessie. She's six." Both girls looked at the DiNozzo family. "Are you twins?"

"Yep; I'm Beth! And this is our Abba," Beth pointed to her father. Tony turned at the sound of his name; he smiled at the girls and their new friends.

"Hi," he waved at the two little girls across the table. Their mother turned back towards the table from the conversation she was having with a woman at the table behind her. She looked at the girls and then gave Tony the once-over. He noticed her look, and held up his left hand, pointing to his wedding band. She huffed and moved back to her conversation with other woman.

The last two to be seated at their table, a mother with her young son, came rushing in just as the hostess was starting to speak to the group. The boy looked to be about the same age as the twins and appeared to be upset about something. He looked at Tony and let out a yell.

"See, Mama, I can too be a princess!" he yelled, pointing at Tony. "That big boy is wearing a princess dress!" Tony wanted to shrink under the table, now that everyone in the room was looking at him. He swallowed hard, and noticed his daughters watching him. "I wanna be a princess; I wanna wear that blue dress!" The mother glared at Tony, almost daring him to say something.

"Hey, let him be what he wants," Tony spoke quietly but firmly. "Kids shouldn't be limited in their dreams when they are young. I don't see anything wrong about letting him explore all of the options. We shouldn't be limited by what others think we should be."

"Fine, but I am NOT going to be the one who puts a dress on my son," the mother hissed in reply.

Tony stood up, "I'll help him." He held out a hand to the boy, who reached over shyly and then walked to the costume room with Tony. "I'm Tony; what's your name? Which dress, bud?"

"Kevin," the boy pointed to a sky blue dress with ribbons.

"Gotcha. Hold still while I help you get it on," Tony fastened the Velcro on the back of the dress and followed the boy back to their table. When the others noticed the two returning, several of the parents applauded.

Rivka looked at the boy and then at her Abba, "You are awesome, Abba!" Tony grinned at his number two mini-ninja and put an arm around her pulling her into a hug.

"Toda raba, yaldati," he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

The hostess began explaining about tea parties and the foods that the group would be served. Some of the kids (and parents) made faces at some of the foods she talked about, but Rivka and Beth were excited to try everything.

The first course was an individual-sized bacon and mushroom quiche, a strawberry and baby spinach salad, and finger sandwiches. The finger sandwiches included cucumber and cream cheese with chives, chicken salad, peanut butter and jelly, pimento cheese, and tuna salad. Tony watched as his girls tried everything, eating almost all of the food that they had put on their plates. He took a picture of the filled plates before they started eating to show Ziva later.

Many of the other kids only ate the peanut butter and jelly or the cheese sandwiches, pushing the other foods to their parent or to the side. Kevin tried every food, following Tony and the twins' lead. His mother watched her son try new foods, and mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Tony. He gave her a thumbs' up in return.

"Abba, that quiche was almost as good as Ima's," Beth commented.

"But Ima's is better," Rivka added. "Ima is the best cook ever."

"Yeah, she adds love," Beth grinned at her sister.

The second course started with a tea sampler. There were traditional teas, such as oolong, pekoe, Darjeeling, and green tea. There were also flavored teas, including peach, cherry, peppermint, chamomile, and mixed berry. Again, both girls tried almost all of the offered samples. The scones were served with butter and several jams and jellies. Rivka liked the raspberry jam the best; Beth preferred the peach jelly. Tony ate some of each.

The final course was a cup of orange sherbet with two ginger snap cookies. Rivka wasn't too keen on the cookies, so she gave her second one to Tony.

"That was good, Abba!" Rivka finished the last of her sherbet with a grin.

"Yeah, I liked all of the food," Beth added.

"Me, too," Tony was glad his daughters were happy with the food. So many of the other children were complaining or not eating the food. Parents were also being picky about what they ate. Tony figured that the DiNozzo food genes were partly responsible for his kids eating just about anything; the rest was a direct credit to Ziva, who loved to cook. She presented new foods to the kids on a regular basis.

After the final course, the families who had the picture option were assigned to a photography room and time. The DiNozzos were the second in line for the third room. As they waited, the girls looked over the prop selections to take into the room for their turn. Each one chose a princess wand, a second crown, and some play jewelry. Beth also picked a red feather boa.

"Abba, what are you going to pick?"

"How about you two pick some props for me?" Tony suggested. Rivka wrapped a purple fuzzy boa around her Abba's neck; Beth chose some clip-on earrings with purple gemstones. By now, Tony had resigned himself to the fact that he would probably NEVER live this adventure down, so why not let the girls have some fun?

The photographer had them pose with the props in front of several backdrops. Each of them grinned their best DiNozzo grin in each picture. As their session came to an end, the photographer directed them back to the costume room to put the costumes away.

"Stop at the front desk on your way out to pick up your photos," she reminded Tony.

"Thanks!" Tony led the girls to the costume room and helped them remove their dresses. He hung each of them back on hangars and then put the crowns away. They headed to the front to pick up the pictures before going home.

"Did you have fun?" he asked his mini-ninjas.

"Yes, Abba!" both answered. "Thank you!"

"What was the best part?" he was curious what the two five-year-olds would remember the most.

"Your princess dress," Rivka replied.

"I was going to say the good food, but Riv is right. It was your dress, Abba!" Beth grinned at her father.


	2. Ima and the Boys - August 2025

Chapter 2 – Ima and the Boys – August 2025

While Tony and the twins were at the tea party, Ziva and the boys were headed to a tree-top adventure park. LJ saw an advertisement for the place on TV and pestered Ziva to go. He had persuaded Anthony that it would be fun and the two boys ganged up on their Ima.

Ziva researched the height requirements for children, and almost four-year-old LJ was about an inch over the minimum height. She read about the safety training prior to entering the tree-tops and decided her boys could handle it. It really did look like a lot of fun.

She parked the car and double-checked the boys' attire. Both had on cargo pants, athletic shoes and t-shirts. She handed each boy a cap and slathered their exposed skin with sunblock. She put on her own cap over her ponytail.

"Are you ready for our adventure?" she grinned at her sons, getting a pair of DiNozzo grins in return.

LJ practically danced across the parking lot to the entrance. He chattered excitedly about the tree top pathways and rides that he saw on the TV ad. Anthony wasn't as bouncy, but he too was excited for the day's adventure.

"Ima, we have to go on the giant swing and the zip-lines and…" LJ skipped in front of his Ima as she walked.

"LJ, please," Ziva put a hand on her youngest who tried his best to calm down. "We have to check in and then you must be quiet and pay attention to the safety training."

"Ken, Ima. But my brain is too excited to stand still!" LJ made puppy eyes at his mother. Ziva laughed out loud; her son looked so much like his Abba at the moment.

"Three for DiNozzo," she told the young man behind the ticket counter. "One adult and two children."

He looked in his computer and nodded, pressing a key to send a request to the printer for their wristbands. "You have the kids' adventure tree-top plan. After the twenty minute safety training, you'll gear up and then head to the course. Wear your wristbands at all times. Have fun!"

"Thank you," LJ bounced around his mother as she separated the wristbands. Anthony held his arm out so she could fasten his band, grinning at his little brother. Ziva grabbed LJ's arm and wrapped his wristband around quickly; hitting a moving target wasn't easy! Finally she attached her own band to her wrist.

Anthony pointed to a sign that directed the family to the safety training. "I want to go as high up in the trees as we can, Ima. Like a bird!"

"We shall see what they allow," Ziva was not making any promises until she learned more about the course, the safety training, and the various options. She led the boys to the safety training area, taking seats near the front of the area. As they waited for their training session, she looked around.

The small training area had about twenty seats; about half were occupied while they waited. There was a father with two children about Anthony's age; and a family of five, parents, two boys and a girl. The father who was by himself with the older boy and girl nodded to Ziva. She acknowledged his greeting and continued to look around. As she was noting the demonstration safety equipment, the man sat next to her.

"Hi, I'm Gary," he extended a hand. "Grace and Hank are eight." He looked over at his two.

"Ziva," she replied. "My boys are eight and almost four."

"Is this your first time on the course?" Gary grinned at her; Ziva could tell he was checking her over.

She moved her left hand up to his line of sight, "I've been on a training course that is much tougher than this. My sons saw the commercial on TV and wanted to come." She hoped he'd noticed her wedding band.

"We've been here twice before; if you need any help or anything, let me know," apparently Gary had missed the not so subtle cue Ziva had sent.

Ziva was about to reply when the group was called to attention by the safety trainer. She turned to face the presentation, aware that Gary did not move from her side. A family of six joined the group at the last minute; the mother hushing her hyper kids and telling them to pay attention.

"Hello, everyone! Are you ready to have some fun?"

"YES!" the group shouted.

"Good. I'm Pete and I'm here to show you the safety rules and equipment so you can get on the course. I need a volunteer to help me."

LJ jumped up, "Me; pick me!" Ziva nodded and he grinned at his Ima. He followed Pete to the center of the area.

"What's your name?"

"LJ DiNozzo."

"Hi, LJ; how old are you?"

"I'm three, almost four."

"Cool. Today, I'm going to use you to show the others about the safety equipment and how to use it when you are in the trees. Are you ready?" Pete chose a harness that fit LJ and helped him put it on. He explained to everyone how to make sure the harness was properly fitted and tightened. After the demonstration, each person in the group selected a harness and adjusted it to fit. Anthony had some help from his mother with making sure the straps were not too loose or too tight. Ziva put her own harness on quickly and adjusted it with ease.

"Are you sure you've never been here before? You're a natural with that," Gary was at Ziva's side as she checked Anthony a second time. "I was going to offer to help you, but I see you don't need any help." Pete came around to check everyone individually as Gary tried to chat up Ziva.

"Wow," Pete remarked at how neatly Ziva had adjusted hers and Anthony's straps. "Are you military?"

"Former IDF and Mossad," Ziva stated as she watched Gary's reaction. He stepped back from her slightly, for which she was thankful. Normally she would not have even mentioned her prior life, but a hovering Gary had left her annoyed. He did not seem to get her message that she was not interested!

"Training never leaves, does it? I'm retired Army Special Forces," Pete smiled. "Oh, by the way, you'll have to tape your ring, take it off, or wear gloves."

Ziva nodded and pulled her gloves out of her backpack, "I have them ready! My ring NEVER comes off…" She slipped the gloves over her hands, exaggerating with her left hand, hoping that Gary would finally notice her wedding band. He seemed to get the message finally and backed off. She handed Anthony and LJ their gloves as the family prepared for the course.

Pete moved back to LJ and explained about the tether ropes and clips each person would have attached while on the adventure course. He showed them how to open and close the carabiner clips and move ropes when moving between activities. He emphasized the importance of listening to directions at each activity and reading all safety instruction signs along the course.

LJ and Anthony hung on every word; both boys made sure to practice what Pete showed them. Ziva watched her sons with pride; they were the best behaved and most attentive of the children in the group. Pete asked if there were any questions.

"How high can we go into the trees?" Anthony asked.

"The Treetop Journey course, which you are about to enter, has its highest activities about sixty feet off the ground. That's as tall as a five and a half story building. It's about as high as a bowling lane is long."

Pete turned to the group, "When you're ready to start, you can access the first tree top platform by climbing this rope ladder or using the pegs on the fake tree over here." He pointed to the climbing 'tree' that began the course.

"Let's go Ima!" LJ grabbed his mother's hand and pulled her towards the rope ladder. Anthony followed behind his brother and Ima. He decided that he would rather climb the 'tree' and started up. Ziva followed LJ onto the rope ladder and all three moved up towards the platform that was about ten feet in the air.

As mother and sons navigated the rope and wood plank bridge that exited from the starting platform, Ziva pulled out her phone. LJ and Anthony were just ahead of her and she called to them to turn for the picture. LJ's big grin said it all!

The three navigated the ropes and platforms through the treetops. Each platform provided benches for resting, a water cambro for hydrating, and a large sign telling about the tree or the view from the platform. At the very top of the course, sixty-three feet above the ground, a large open platform was between treetops. The view looked out onto the surrounding area for the theme park. The maps on the platform pointed out physical and geographic features that were visible in all directions. Ziva took nearly one hundred photos with her phone; Anthony took another thirty or so.

As they sat on the benches on the high platform, Ziva pulled snacks out of her backpack and handed each of the boys a bag of trail mix with M&Ms, peanuts, raisins, and popcorn. LJ dropped some popcorn and two small birds flew in and grabbed the treats. Ziva laughed at her little boy's reaction and then showed him how to sit very still to see if the birds would take the popcorn off of his hand.

They sat quietly, waiting for the little birds, and finally one swooped in to touch lightly on Ziva's hand and take the popcorn. The second bird landed on LJ's hand and took his popcorn a minute later. Ziva caught his expression with her camera, mouth wide open in surprise and the little bird on his hand.

After the snacks were eaten, and the little birds were well-fed on popcorn, Anthony led his Ima and brother to the final activity. They crossed one last rope bridge to the last platform. Once there, they lined up for the zip-line down to the ground. LJ was given the option to ride with Ziva or on his own. He chose to go solo and both Anthony and Ziva gave the little boy a big thumbs' up as he geared up and slid into the harness for the ride. Anthony was directed to a line parallel to his brother and the two boys left the platform together. Ziva snapped several pictures as she stepped up to her line.

She could hear her boys' whoops of joy as they flew over the treetops. She left the platform and soared out over the trees. The views were incredible and the wind in her face and hair was exhilarating. She was glad the boys had talked her into the adventure; the three of them would remember the day for a long time to come!


	3. Abba and Tali - August 2025

Chapter 3 – Abba and Tali – August 2025

After the tea party, Tony took the twins to Gibbs' house and picked up Tali for their movie time. As they headed to the cinema complex near the mall, Tali spied the family's favorite miniature golf center.

"Abba, can we play mini golf instead of the movie?" she pointed to the sign for the Animal Safari Mini Golf Center. "I just would rather be outside than inside today."

"Works for me," Tony turned into the parking lot. "Just don't tell LJ; you know how much he likes the lion on the first hole!" He parked the truck and he and Tali headed to the entrance. "Two please," he paid with his debit card as Tali chose her putter and ball.

"Look, Abba, they have Ima's favorite ball again!" she held up the golf ball with the Israeli flag printed on the surface. Each golf ball in the bin had a number, letter, or image printed on it so that players could easily find their own ball when playing in a group. "Ooh, here's a new one with a lion face. LJ's going to like that!" She rummaged through the bin some more, finally choosing a green butterfly image for her ball.

Tony was going to choose the number 13, just because he felt like it, but then he spotted a ball with a film reel imprinted on it. "Got mine!" he exclaimed, holding it up for Tali to see. She grinned at her father and gave him a thumbs' up.

The pair walked to the first hole to tee off. Tali looked to her Abba, "The usual?" He nodded and they did 'rock, paper, scissors' to see who went first. Tali extended her hand out palm down to Tony's fist. "Paper covers rock!" Tali moved to tee up.

The first hole had a lion-shaped tunnel to pass from the tee to the hole; the ball entered the lion's open mouth and exited behind the tail. It was LJ's favorite hole. He sometimes only wanted to play the lion hole. Tali's ball rolled into the lion's mouth and exited down the ramp to the green. It stopped about four feet from the hole. She grinned at her father.

Tony stepped up to the tee, "I'm gonna ace it." He hit the ball and it rolled into the open lion's mouth and out to the ramp. It picked up speed going down the ramp and rolled about six feet past the hole. Tali grinned some more; she was already beating Abba!

Tony lined up his next shot and tapped the ball; it rolled towards the hole and stopped inches from the lip. "Aw, come on!" he groaned. He tapped the ball in with one hand as Tali lined up her second shot. Her ball rolled smoothly to the hole and dropped into the cup. Tali raised her hand in a fist pump.

The next hole had a zebra-shaped bridge; the ball rolled up the tail, across the back and then down the head between the ears to go over a 'stream' of water. Tali teed off first since she won the previous hole. Her ball rolled over the zebra bridged and then veered to the right of the hole and hit a small depression to the side of the 'green.'

Tony's ball rolled off the zebra's nose and directly at the hole. It stopped about three inches short. He grinned at his daughter. "My turn to get a birdie." Tali stuck her tongue out at her Abba as she lined up her shot. Her ball rolled up the slight incline and into the cup. Tony shook his head; how was his eleven-year-old so good at this? He knocked his ball into the hole and father and daughter recorded a tie for the hole.

As they moved to the next hole, Tony casually tried to see if Tali had anything she wanted to talk about. "So, are you ready for middle school?"

"I think so Abba. I liked the preview day we had before fifth grade ended. And when we had the practice day last week, it was easy to move to my classes." Tali watched her father tee up. Tony hit his ball over the snake-shaped ramp to the green.

Tali moved to the tee, "I guess I'm scared that my locker won't open or I'll get stuck in the hallway with all the other students moving to class and then I'll be late to class." She hit the ball towards the ramp and watched as it rolled off the opposite side and fell into the hole. "Woot! ACED IT!"

"Did you like middle school, Abba?"

Tony stopped walking and turned to his daughter. "It wasn't middle school when I was your age. Grades K through six were elementary school. Seven through nine were junior high, and then high school. But after sixth grade, I was put in boarding school." Tony walked to his ball to line up his next shot.

"Wait; you were in boarding school?"

Tony took his shot and watched the ball roll into the hole before answering. "Yep, from the time I was twelve. I was in a different school every year, until the last one. Riverside Military Academy was the last one."

Tali looked at her father with a question in her eyes, "Why so many changes? Did you move a lot?" She was familiar with military families who moved periodically, but didn't think her father had been a military dependent.

Tony shook his head, "Nope, managed to get myself kicked out of four schools in as many years. Acting out, pranks, overall just being a smart-ass."

"Why did you do that, Abba?"

Tony sighed; did he really want to bring up the past? He figured sooner or later the kids would ask about his parents and he would tell them as much as he felt comfortable. "My dad wasn't the best father. He wanted me out of his way so he could live a flamboyant life-style. After Mom died, I was more of an inconvenience than a son to him."

"Is that the man you and Ima call 'Senior'?" Tali had heard her parents mention an older DiNozzo, but she only had vague memories of the man.

"The one and only," Tony replied. "Mom died when I was eight." He paused and Tali could see her Abba lost in thought.

"What was she like, Abba?" Tali was curious.

"She loved her films; every Saturday we would go in to New York to this dollar matinee. They would show at least two films, sometimes three, all of them classics. Mom would tell me about the story as we rode the train into the city. She'd buy a large popcorn and two lemonades for us to have for snacks," Tony reminisced. "Sometimes we'd stay up late and watch a film on TV during the week, especially when Dad wasn't home…" he trailed off, lost in his memories.

"The last film we saw together before she got too sick to go to the cinema was The Little Prince. Somewhere I have pictures of that last trip."

Tali listened to her Abba's story with rapt attention as they continued through the mini golf holes. She wondered about her grandmother DiNozzo. Would she have been someone that took the grandkids on outings?

"Why don't you talk about her much, Abba?"

Tony sighed, "I guess because it still makes me sad to think about losing her. But, I should talk about her to you kids. It's the only way you'll ever know of your Grandma DiNozzo. She would have loved you kids. Probably would have taken you to films, like she did with me."

"Do you have any other pictures of her besides the ones in your office and the painting in the living room? I'd love to see them, Abba," Tali was curious about her DiNozzo ancestors.

"Yeah, I have several boxes of pictures. I think they are in the garage somewhere. Would you like to see them someday? Not just my Mom, but all of my relatives?" He realized he should share the pictures with the kids. After all, his heritage was also their heritage.

"Yeah, Abba, I'd like that. I think the other kids would, too. Has Ima seen your pictures?"

"Most of them; she and I went through the boxes when the twins were babies. We got them out of a storage locker my Dad had in New York. The ones in my office are what I picked out to display."

Father and daughter got to the final hole with a tied score. Tony teed off first. Tali teed off and her ball rolled next to her father's ball. Each one sank the putt on the second shot and the score remained tied. As they were returning the putters and balls, Tali turned to her father.

"Abba, thanks for sharing about my grandmother. I hope you'll share more stories and pictures with all of us so we can get to know who she was. I want to know more about your father too."

"I'll try, Tals. It's not always easy for me; still hurts after all these years. And my father is still a sore spot for being such a jerk to your Ima when he visited right after the twins were born…"

Tali put her hand on her Abba's arm, "Maybe you should forgive him, Abba, so you can let go of the hurt…"

Tony drew his oldest into a hug; "When did you get so wise, Tals? Ani ohev otach, yaldati!"


	4. Abba and the Young Women - January 2035

Chapter 4 – Tony and the Young Women – January 2035

"Hey, Abba," Tali hugged her father as he approached the DiNozzo girls. "Thanks for meeting us for lunch!"

"How could I say no to my girls?" Tony grinned at his oldest. "Besides, now that you are going to be a married woman, we may not get much of a chance to do this again."

Tali smiled, "it's not like I'm moving away, Abba. Hopefully we will still have some fourth Saturdays ahead! Besides, the twins are still home."

"Yeah, but it won't be the same," he hugged the two younger girls. "So, how'd the final fittings go with the dresses?"

"Great," replied Beth. "I really like the shades of green Tali picked. Our dresses are just a shade darker than Katie's. Here's a picture," she held her phone out so he could see the picture that the dressmaker took of the two bridesmaids and maid of honor in their matching dresses.

"Beautiful!" Tony exclaimed. "Of course, I'm prejudiced when it comes to my daughters, but you are all so much like your gorgeous Ima!"

Rivka held out her phone, "Here's Ima's dress." Tony did a double take; the shade of forest green that Tali picked for Ziva's dress was a color he hadn't seen on her before. It was absolutely stunning. Riv swiped at her screen. "Promise not to tell Chaim? Here's Tali's dress." She turned the phone so her father could see the image.

Tony's mouth dropped open; when had his baby girl become such a beautiful woman? "Wow, Tals!"

"Toda, Abba; oh, by the way, Ima has your tie to match her dress. It's made of the same material as her dress so the color and pattern match exactly."

The conversation was interrupted by the hostess, "DiNozzo, party of four?" She motioned for the family to follow her to the table. "I hope this is satisfactory," she pointed to a booth that was separated from the next one over by a large plant.

"Perfect," Tony flashed his DiNozzo grin at her and nodded. The twins slid into one side and Tony and Tali into the other. "Ima said to remind you that this is the large meal for the day since she, Anthony and LJ will be out for dinner tonight."

"Did they say where they are going, Abba? Ima was sort of mysterious about it when I asked what they were doing for fourth Saturday," Beth asked out of curiosity.

"I know, but I'm not supposed to tell. Ima wanted to surprise the guys by taking them to a hockey game. She got some really good tickets to the Caps at a discount," he replied. "It should be a good game; they are playing the Flyers tonight."

"We won't tell Ima that you told us; promise!" Riv grinned at her father. "I bet they won't have as much fun as we did last year when we went to that ice hockey minicamp!"

Beth nodded, "Yeah, that was fun; but I still think the BEST fourth Saturday ever was when Abba wore the princess dress." Tony rolled his eyes; he would never live that one down, and he was certain that future generations would hear the story over and over again.

Tali laughed, "That almost made me wish I had been into the princess thing back then; just to see Abba in a purple princess dress!" She turned back to her menu to choose her meal. "Oh, by the way, Abba; I got my FLETC acceptance. I start training on 26 February, same day as Chaim."

"GLYNCO?" Tony asked.

"First two weeks, then two weeks at Quantico. After that I'm on the job at the International Desk. Chaim has first two weeks at GLYNCO and then he's on the job as Aunt Abby's assistant for her to train him to take over." Tali looked at her Abba's face; his worried look was plastered in plain view. "Abba, we talked about this; I won't be in the field at all. But I have to do the field agent training just in case I'm needed. I want to do this, Abba."

"I know, Tals; but remember, Ima and I have been there. We know the risks involved," Tony sighed. "I have mixed feelings about you working as an agent for ANY government agency."

"Can we agree not to discuss it now, please Abba? I want to enjoy our day together without anyone getting upset," Tali put her hand on her Abba's arm. "For me, please?" she made her best puppy eyes.

Their waiter arrived at that moment to take the family's orders. After they made the orders, Tony grinned at Tali.

"I promise not to bring up NCIS any more today!"

"Thank you, Abba." Tali nodded to her youngest sister.

"Um, Abba," Beth began. "I, um, have something to ask, um, tell you…"

"Oh?" Tony looked at the other two girls; both obviously already knew what Beth was going to say.

"Charles asked me to go steady," she blurted out before she lost her nerve.

"Okay; he's a good kid, even though he inherited the Gremlin's sense of humor," Tony remarked to a surprised Beth. "What? It's not like you two haven't been in each other's hip pockets since you were little kids."

Beth smirked at her sisters, "I told you Abba would be cool about it. Thanks, Abba. Your agreement means a lot to me."

Tony was about to respond when the food arrived. After each was served, he picked up his glass of tea. "A toast, to relationships: Tali and Chaim; Rivka and John; Beth and Charles."

"And Abba and Ima!" all three of his daughters chorused.

"Anthony and Katie, too," Tali chimed in as the four touched their glasses together.

The four enjoyed the meal, chatting about Tali's upcoming wedding; Anthony's high school basketball team being undefeated for so far for the season, and the twins' ninth grade classes. The two younger girls asked their older sister for advice for the next year's classes to best plan for joint enrollment in eleventh and twelfth grades. Tali shared her strategy and also cautioned her sisters that her plan might not be best for either of them; they each needed to make a plan based on their own goals and possible future college majors.

Tony listened to his girls talking; when did they become young adults on him? Tali would be twenty one in June; Riv and Beth would turn fifteen in about three weeks. Some days he longed for them all to be little kids again; other days he reflected on how they'd grown into individuals that he was proud to call his children. Oh, and how far he himself had grown from that fateful day so long ago when he met almost two year old Tali.

He raised his glass again, "L'chaim!" His girl echoed back his toast.

Tali looked at her Abba, "You okay? You seem sort of pensive today."

"Reflecting on life in general and on our family in particular," was his response. "Thinking back to when you came into my life and how far we have come." He squeezed Tali's hand in his own. "Guess having your baby girl about to get married makes a father reflective."

"And sappy!" Rivka retorted. "But we still love you Abba."

Tali raised her glass, "To Abba; the best ever!"


	5. Ziva and the Young Men - January 2035

Chapter 5 – Ziva and the Young Men – January 2035

"So where are we going, Ima?" LJ asked as Ziva headed the van into the Huntington Station Metro parking lot. "Are we taking a bus or the train?"

"You will know soon enough, motek," his mother replied as she found a parking space. "I have your MetroPass cards in my purse." She handed the cards to her sons with a grin. "Follow me!"

Anthony and LJ shared a look; Ima was being very mysterious about this month's fourth Saturday activity. They were also going out later than usual for their special time with Ima; usually they left in the morning for whatever activity mother and sons were planning.

Ziva headed to the Yellow Line of the Metro with the two young men following behind her. Once on the train, she turned to her sons with a huge grin and pulled three tickets out of her purse.

"Washington Capitals game tonight against the Flyers. Dinner before at Carmine's Italian Grill!" Ziva announced to her surprised sons. She grinned even wider at their shocked looks.

"Cool, Ima! How did you get tickets?" Anthony inspected the three tickets his mother held out. "RINK-SIDE tickets? Wow!" His DiNozzo grin flashed at his Ima; how she had managed this score was beyond his comprehension, but he wasn't going to complain.

LJ grinned as well, "Ima, you're the best!" He pulled up the seating diagram for the Capital One Arena on his phone and looked up the seat numbers on the tickets. He held his phone towards his brother, "It looks like we are one row back from the Caps bench but towards the goal on this side." He pointed to the image on the screen. Anthony stared at the screen in amazement.

"Okay, Ima, how did you do it? I have to know!" Anthony questioned his mother.

Ziva grinned at her sons, "Well… I could claim all sorts of miraculous credits, but it was nothing I did really. Remember that raffle at the NCIS Christmas party that Uncle Tim won the tickets to the river dinner cruise?" Both boys nodded as their Ima continued, "I won these tickets; I had a choice of three rink-side or five mezzanine tickets, so I chose the three closer tickets. The date just worked out for our fourth Saturday."

Ziva stood as the in-train signs indicated that the next stop would be Gallery Place - Chinatown station. The thirty minute ride seemed to fly past. "This is our stop," she reminded the boys as she made her way towards the doors with the young men following behind.

Once at street level, the family walked to the restaurant. Ziva had reservations for three at 1630. It was about 1620 when they walked into Carmine's.

"Ziva DiNozzo, party of three," she told the hostess.

"Your table should be almost ready," the hostess moved to check the dining room. "Follow me." She led them to a table near a window. "Is this acceptable?" Ziva nodded as Anthony held a chair for her to sit.

"Toda, Anthony," she smiled at her older son. The hostess put menus on the table and mentioned that their server would be with them shortly.

LJ's eyes widened as he read over the menu; all of his favorite Italian foods were on the menu. "How are we going to choose just one, Ima? I like them all!"

"Well, remember that the food is served family-style here. We get to share dishes; I thought you two could each choose an entrée and we three could share," Ziva explained to her hungry sons. She knew the two would probably eat most of the food; they did have the infamous DiNozzo food gene after all.

Anthony narrowed his choice down to two; he waited for LJ to decide before making his final choice. LJ finally chose the veal saltimbocca, so Anthony chose the chicken Marsala. Their server was a young female who openly flirted with both young men. Seventeen year old Anthony mostly ignored her; Ziva was not surprised. Thirteen and one half year old LJ awkwardly flirted back some. At just over six feet tall and with some facial hair, only two and one half inches shorter than his older brother, LJ appeared older than he actually was. Ziva figured when LJ hit his final mid-teen growth spurt, he'd be taller than Anthony.

When the server left to get them some additional parmesan cheese, Anthony leaned towards his brother. "If you are too obvious when you flirt back, she'll turn off her attention, little bro. You gotta be subtle when you give her the eyes over."

Ziva nearly choked on her bite of pasta when LJ replied, "So show me how to do it, big brother." He grinned mischievously at his older sibling. She tried not to laugh when she saw the expression on Anthony's face. She wasn't quite sure if it was disbelief, shock, or fear! Anthony had never dated anyone other than his steady girl, Katie McGee.

Ziva noticed the server returning to their table; things were about to get interesting. She watched the boys as they both noticed the young woman returning. As she neared the table, Anthony turned to her. LJ watched his brother's every move.

"Hello there; thanks for bringing us more parmesan," Anthony gave her his best DiNozzo grin. "My brother and I were just commenting that you have a beautiful smile." She grinned back at him. Her grin quickly faded when he added, "But I have a steady girlfriend, and LJ here is just thirteen."

The young lady put the cheese on the table and quickly left. Ziva chuckled; her son was his father to a tee. She swore Anthony channeled his Abba sometimes. LJ shook his head in disbelief. Anthony shrugged and motioned his brother to lean in closer.

"Notice how I complimented her first? Did you see her smile? That's the goal, little brother."

"So why'd you shut it down right away?" LJ was curious now.

"Not fair to lead her on when I'm taken," Anthony was honest.

Each of them had veal and chicken as well as pasta, vegetables, salad and bread. The two young men finished the meat and ate most of the pasta. Only a spoonful of the vegetables remained in the dish; LJ noticed and finished the remaining food. During the meal, the three talked about the upcoming hockey game and their favorite players. Since the two teams had similar records, it would likely be a good game with no clear dominant team going in. They declined dessert, deciding to wait until during the game to have soft pretzels and ice cream.

After Ziva paid the bill, they walked back to the Arena, entering the gate that corresponded with their seat section. They found the seats easily, and settled in to watch the teams warm up on the ice. It was about an hour to game time at 1900.

Anthony watched the overhead cameras on their wires as the technicians moved them about and zoomed in for close up shots. He could see images on the large screens around the arena and matched images to cameras.

LJ was fascinated by a display of information about the Caps players. Each screen showed data about the player as an animated image of the player gradually appeared on the other half of the screen. Ziva could see the interest in both of her sons' faces as they watched the graphics and images.

Ziva was startled from her thoughts by a voice calling her, "Ziva? Ziva David?" She looked over to the direction from which the voice came. She smiled and stood up; Damon Werth had not changed much over the years, well except for the usual aging and graying hair.

"Damon! It has been, what, twenty five years?" Ziva gave her friend a hug. "You are looking good. And it is Ziva DiNozzo now."

Damon hugged Ziva, "You too. So who are these young men?"

"Anthony and LJ, this is Damon Werth; he worked with Abba and me a long time ago at NCIS. Damon, these are my sons, Anthony D. DiNozzo, the third, and Leroy Jackson DiNozzo, more commonly known as LJ." The guys all shook hands, and Anthony made eye contact with Damon. Ziva almost laughed out loud at Anthony's protective look. LJ also gave Damon the eye.

"I'm head of security for the arena; tonight this is my section. If you need anything, let me know," Damon called over his shoulder as he moved to where another security officer was waving to get his attention.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS AS WE GET READY TO BEGIN TONIGHT'S GAME."

After the singing of the National Anthem, the teams faced off as the referee placed the puck center-ice. He blew the whistle and the action started. Players raced from end to end on the ice; the puck flew around the rink. Multiple attempts at goal were foiled by the opposing team's goalie. At the end of the first period, the score was still tied at zero.

A brief intermission followed before the second period started. LJ found a vendor for soft pretzels on his way back from the restrooms and brought pretzels for all three. They talked about the game so far.

"I really thought that last shot was a goal," Anthony said through a mouthful of pretzel. "It was almost in the goal when the Flyers' goalie fell on the puck."

LJ nodded, "It sure was close! That block by the Caps' goalie about half way through the period was so awesome. I think he was actually airborne while he was defending the goal."

Ziva chewed her pretzel as the boys talked; so far the teams had been closely matched in skills and action. They both had been relatively tame, with only some shoving. No one had been sent to the penalty box in the first period.

"What do you think, Ima?" LJ pulled Ziva from her thoughts.

"I have to agree with your Abba; hockey games are better with some physical action."

"Like fights?" LJ couldn't believe his Ima was asking for a fight in the game.

"Yes, just one or two to keep it interesting," Ziva grinned at her youngest. "No one needs to get hurt though."

The players came back out on the ice and the second period began. Again the players zoomed around the ice, and the puck was a black blur moving about. Ten minutes and forty seconds into the period, two players started shoving each other. The one who started the shoving took a few wild swings at the other player as the two moved almost in front of the DiNozzos. They stood up with the crowd around them to see the action.

"Get him in a headlock," Ziva yelled to her sons' surprise. "Show him who is the better fighter!" LJ leaned back and met his brother's look. They both shrugged and heard their Ima shout "Headlock; headlock!" Who was this crazy woman and what had she done with their Ima?

Anthony reached over and put a hand on his mother's arm, "Ima…" Before he could react, Ziva had him in a headlock. She realized what she had done and released Anthony immediately. "I was going to tell you to chill out, Ima!"

"I am sorry, motek. You startled me when you touched my arm; old training is a hard habit to lose." Ziva hugged Anthony and apologized again.

LJ stood with his mouth open, watching the whole scene unfold. Most of the others around them were watching the brawl that had broken out on the ice, for which Ziva was thankful.

"That was a cool move, Ima; will you teach us how to do that?" Anthony asked as LJ nodded his agreement. "It must be a great self-defense move if needed!"

Ziva sighed, "You do not need to know how to fight like Mossad, but I will show you and your sisters some self-defense moves at the gym." She noticed the disappointed looks on her sons' faces. "Okay, I will show you that move, but only for defense and only in a controlled environment for learning.

"Now, let us get back to the game. And let me be the one to tell your Abba, please."

The referees had broken up the brawl and the two original fighting players were in the penalty box. The Caps scored a goal with one minute left in the period. The Flyers tried twice to make a goal but were thwarted by the Caps' goalie each time.

With the score one to nothing in favor of the Capitals, Ziva headed to find a restroom and then an ice cream vendor. She brought back triple-scoop sundaes for her young men and a single scoop cone for herself. They enjoyed the frozen treat as the third period began.

As the final buzzer sounded, the Caps were ahead two to one. Ziva, Anthony, and LJ cheered for the Caps as they skated off the ice. They headed to the Metro and the train ride home, talking about the fight and the exciting final period.

"Thanks, Ima; this was a great fourth Saturday," LJ commented. "We learned never to touch you and startle you! Plus it was a good game. The whole day was fun."

"Yeah, and the food was awesome. We need to go to Carmine's with the whole family," Anthony added. "Toda raba, Ima!"


	6. Abba and His (Almost All) Married Girls - April 2044

Chapter 6 – Abba and His (Almost All) Married Girls – April 2044

"Hurry up!" Rivka called to her twin. "Abba is waiting for us."

Beth pulled on her shoes and met her sister in the hallway of her parents' house. So many memories filled the room she just exited and the bedroom wing of the house. The two had shared the bedroom for many years. The five DiNozzos had grown up together with bedrooms side by side in this very part of the house. Both had stayed overnight in their old room in preparation for the upcoming joint wedding at 1600.

"Tali is meeting up with us at the diner," Tony grinned at his number two and number three ninjas. "It'll be like old times!"

Beth and Riv followed their father to his truck and climbed in; Beth in the front and Riv in the back seat. Tony started the engine and backed out of the driveway. He headed for the diner that Gibbs had frequented for nearly fifty years. They still served a mean breakfast special.

"When's the last time we had fourth Saturday?" he asked the twins.

Beth thought about it for a few minutes before responding. "I think it was right before Riv moved to Atlanta, so July or August 2040."

"What about Thanksgiving 2042, when we were all together?" Riv asked. "Remember we went to the diner for breakfast on the Saturday after the holiday, before John and I headed back home?"

Tony shook his head, "Tali wasn't there in '42. Remember her twins came down with the flu on Thanksgiving night. Ima and I spent the night with Levi and Elijah while Tali and Chaim were at the ER with the babies. I'm going with '40; that's the last time I remember all three of you being together for fourth Saturday!"

He turned the truck into the parking lot for the diner; there were only three other vehicles in the lot. For 0730 on a Saturday, the place was quiet. Not that it mattered much; the family would get their food faster.

As they walked in the door, Fran greeted them by name. "Hey, Tony! Hey, Rivka and Beth!" She led them to a booth by the windows where Tali was already seated and put menus on the table. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Coffee," Tony, Tali, and Beth replied.

"Orange juice," Riv responded. Tony looked at his number two ninja; she always had coffee at breakfast.

"I'm ready to order," Beth motioned to her sisters and Abba. They nodded. "I want the breakfast special with two eggs, over easy; bacon; bagel with cream cheese; and the side hash browns."

Tali ordered the breakfast special with a soft-boiled egg, turkey bacon, and a toasted thin bagel with low-fat cream cheese. "Still trying to lose the baby weight from the twins," she commented to her sisters.

Fran looked at Riv. "Breakfast special with two eggs, scrambled, the biscuit and sausage gravy; put the eggs on top of the gravy, please. Add a waffle and bacon on the side."

Tony looked at Beth as Rivka ordered, a question in his eyes. Beth grinned at her father and shrugged. She knew something, Tony was sure of it. He'd wait to see if they spilled the beans now or not. Fran looked at him for his order.

"The breakfast special, of course! Two scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, wheat toast with apple butter," he placed his order. Fran headed to the kitchen to give the cook their meal orders and get their beverages. She returned with three cups, a carafe of coffee and a large glass of orange juice.

"Food should be ready in about ten minutes." She went to greet new customers who had just come in the door.

"So, um, Abba," Riv began, looking at her father. "I, um, told Ima this last night when we had our girls' night in our room…" Beth grinned at her sister and squeezed her hand.

"And stayed up until almost 0200!" Tony smirked. "Ima was dead on her feet when she came to bed."

"Yeah; we got a little silly, but anyhow," Riv continued. "Abba, I wanted to tell you before we tell the rest of the family. I'm pregnant; eighteen weeks." She watched her Abba's reaction.

"Wow!" Tony knew from Ziva telling him when she came to bed, but acted surprised.

Rivka grinned, "It's a boy; Adam John is due in September!" Tali moved around to her younger sister and gave her a hug.

"Welcome to parenthood; where your life is not your own…" Tali joked. "Seriously, though, remember to cherish every minute. They grow up too fast!"

"Another grandson; he'll be number five of the boys, and number eight overall," Tony was counting his grandchildren mentally; Tali's four plus Anthony's three and now this baby.

Fran returned with the plates of food for the family. She overheard Tony's comment and looked at the girls. "Okay, who is the mama-to-be?"

"Rivka," replied Tali. "Four is enough for me!"

"Congratulations, sweetie," Fran hugged Riv and then served her plate of food. She served the others and asked if they needed anything else.

"Keep the coffee coming," Tali joked. "We got a double wedding coming later today."

Tony picked up his coffee cup. "A toast to my girls." He waited for the other three to pick up their beverages. "In ten hours, you will all be married. I am so proud of the women you have become. Much of that is your Ima's influence. When you were little, I'd wonder what you would be like as you grew up. All of you have grown into adults that I am honored and proud to call my daughters. I love you all to the moon and back!" He touched his coffee cup to the other cups and glass. As the three DiNozzo daughters sipped their drinks, their Abba wiped his eyes with his hand.

"Abba, you are still a sap!" Beth joked. "I think you cry more than Ima."

"I KNOW I do, yaldati!" he grinned at his three girls.


	7. Ima and Her (Almost All) Married Sons

Chapter 7 – Ima and Her (Almost All) Married Sons – January 2046

Ziva walked into the diner and spotted Anthony and LJ almost immediately. Her boys had grown into good-looking men. Anthony was the image of his father, except for his dark brown eyes. His hair was fine and straight like Tony's, but darker in color like his mother. LJ, at six foot four inches was the tallest of her children. His features were more of a mix of his parents'; Tony's facial features, but Ziva's brown eyes, dark curly hair, and darker complexion skin. The two men rose as their mother approached the table.

"Ima," Anthony hugged his mother. Ziva returned the hug and put a soft kiss on her older son's cheek.

LJ moved over for his turn, "Ima; glad you could come." Ziva smiled at her youngest as she wrapped into his embrace. She put a light kiss on his cheek as well.

Anthony pulled out a chair for his mother to sit. Both men sat opposite their mother as the waitress came to take their beverage orders. Each one ordered a beverage and skimmed the lunch menu. All of them had been to the diner so often; they all knew the menu choices for each meal by heart.

The waitress came back with the glasses of liquid; water for Ziva, cola for LJ, and sweet tea for Anthony. "Whenever you're ready to order…" she trailed off as Ziva nodded to her sons. They nodded back; both were hungry and ready to place an order.

"I'll have the grilled Reuben sandwich on pumpernickel swirl bread with a side salad," Ziva requested. "Light vinaigrette on the side, please."

Anthony ordered next, "I'll have the turkey club on wheat with house fries."

LJ placed his order, "Make mine the Philly with mozzarella and grilled onions, no green peppers, please. Side salad for me, with the house Italian." The waitress gathered the menus and headed to the kitchen to give the orders to the cook.

LJ looked over at his brother; Anthony nodded as LJ spoke, "Ima, we decided that we really need to do something to thank you for all the years of fourth Saturdays. I know that I plan to continue the DiNozzo tradition when I have my own kids."

"Yeah, Ima; I know Shannon and Kelly are really enjoying our fourth Saturdays. Katie looks forward to her time with Anthony as well. All those years, I don't think LJ and I ever really said thank you, Ima."

Ziva grinned at her boys, "I enjoyed the time together as well. No need to thank me for being a parent, the enjoyment and memories are thanks enough."

Anthony put his hand on his mother's, "I get that part, the memories and seeing the enjoyment on my girls' faces is so worth it. But, Ima, you and Abba started this with us when we were little. LJ and I feel that you deserve some recognition by us." Anthony motioned to his brother.

LJ bent and picked up a large bag that was by his feet. "Ima, this is part of our thank you gift for all of the wonderful memories over the years." He handed the bag to Ziva and grinned a full-on DiNozzo grin. Anthony did as well.

"I do not know what to say," Ziva peered into the bag and lifted out a large leather bound photo album. On the cover was printed Fourth Saturday: Ima, Anthony, and LJ. "Oh!" she started leafing through the pages, seeing photos from many years ago. "The memories; oh, look, the tree-top adventure!"

"That was a fun day," LJ reminisced. "Almost as good as the day in the cave!"

Anthony grinned, "You only say that because I slipped and got all muddy and you thought it was hilarious."

"Well, it WAS funny," LJ retorted.

Ziva smiled, "I thought it was funny, except when we had to find a way to cover the seat in the van so Anthony would not get mud all over it."

"Well, how about that trip to the Orioles game when the drunk guy barfed on LJ?" Anthony laughed. "You ended up buying him new clothes at the fan shop!"

LJ groaned, "Don't remind me! And Ima threw out my shirt and shorts after I got cleaned up and into the new clothes. I think I smelled like puke for three or four days after, or at least I thought I did."

The waitress arrived with the food and placed the orders on the table. "Anything else that I can get for you?"

"No thank you," Ziva replied. As they ate, the three remembered other fourth Saturday activities and trips. They were nearly finished eating when LJ nudged Anthony.

"Oh my gosh, Anthony, how could we have forgotten about the kayaking trip when the hornet's nest fell in Ima's kayak?"

Ziva glared at her son, "It can stay forgotten as far as I am concerned. That is something I would never want to do again!"

"But, Ima, you handled it like a pro!" Anthony grinned. "You rolled and got out of the kayak underwater and those poor hornets never had a choice but to drown."

"And we learned some new curse words in Hebrew," LJ laughed. "Although if I remember correctly, you did make me go to time out when I used them at home."

The three laughed at the memories as they finished up their food. Anthony paid the check and they headed out to the parking lot. A light snow was falling; there was already about five inches on the ground. Ziva put the photo album in her van and then ran her hand along the side of the van and made a snowball; it was perfect snowball snow!

Anthony spotted the snowball in his Ima's hand and moved back slightly. He made eye contact with his mother who grinned at him and then threw the snowball at LJ. It hit him on the arm.

"Hey!" LJ turned to face his mother and brother. "Anthony, you are so going to pay for that!"

"Wasn't me," Anthony held up his hands. "Ima did it!"

A snowball hit Anthony in the chest, and he looked over at Ima. "You do realize this is war, right, Ima?" Anthony grinned and took off towards the small park next to the diner parking lot. He scooped up two handfuls of snow and looked between his mother and brother. "I dare you…"

LJ's throw smacked into the side of Anthony's head; Ziva laughed and bent to scoop up more snow as Anthony lobbed one of his at LJ. A free-for-all erupted with snowballs flying left and right. Some hit their target, some missed. Laughter was infectious.

At a pause in the fight, a father with two young children walked past the family.

"Daddy, are those grown-ups having a snowball fight?" the girl asked. "Are they allowed to do that?"

Ziva called out to the girl, "I am having fun with my grown-up sons. We are being silly, but no one is getting hurt. I think we all need to be silly sometimes."

The girl made an 'o' with her mouth as the father hurried the two children along. Ziva and Anthony met gazes and started giggling. LJ tossed snowballs at both of them, hitting his mother right in the face.

"Oh, shit! Sorry, Ima," LJ tried to apologize. When his Ima burst out laughing again, he joined in. Ziva moved closer to her youngest child and held out her left hand.

"It is okay, hug me and you are forgiven," she said. LJ wrapped his arms around his Ima and smiled. He then suddenly let out a yell as Ziva stuffed a handful of snow down the back of his neck.

Anthony doubled over laughing, "Good one, Ima!"

"I thought so," she chuckled. She let out a full laugh when LJ scooped up snow in both hands and unceremoniously dumped it over his older brother's head.

"What the…?" Anthony sputtered. "Damn, that's cold!" He tried to brush the snow out of his hair as LJ got the last of the snow out of his collar. All three were laughing.

"Another memorable fourth Saturday!" Ziva declared. "Who says grown-up DiNozzos cannot have fun?" Her big kid at home would certainly agree one hundred percent!

"Thanks, Ima!" LJ and Anthony spoke together.

"Thank you," Ziva responded. "You are the best sons a mother could have!"


	8. Where It All Began - October 2018

Chapter 8 – Where It All Began – October 2018

"Abba's home, Abba's home!" four-year-old Tali practically danced to the entrance foyer when the door opened. Ziva shifted Anthony in her arms as she sat on the sofa in the family room. The sixteen-month old had been sick all day; besides cutting teeth, he had a fever and vomited everything Ziva tried to feed him. She had just gotten him to sleep when Tony came in the door. Thank goodness it was Friday.

"How's my mini-Ninja Tals?" Tony put his jacket on the coat rack and scooped his daughter into his arms.

"I'm good, Abba. But Anthony's been barfing all day and Ima is grouchy," Tali explained her day to her father. After the two hugged, Tony put her down; she was getting too big to carry any more. "Ima is in the other room," she tugged on her Abba's hand to lead him to the family room.

Tony took one look at his wife and quickly moved next to her on the sofa; "Let me take him." He gently moved the sleeping toddler into his arms as Ziva sighed. Tony leaned towards her and kissed her softly, "Rough day?"

"You do not know the half of it! Poor Anthony has been miserable all day; I just got him to sleep. Tali has tried to be helpful, but …"

"Go; get some time for yourself. I got the kids for a bit," he looked at Tali who was watching a movie on her tablet.

"I…"

"Nope; no excuses, Zi. I got this; you need a break!" Tony insisted. He watched Ziva head towards the master bedroom as Anthony shifted in his arms. "Hey, bud, it's okay. Abba's got you now. Go back to sleep, big boy." Tony placed a gentle kiss on the little boy's forehead. The poor kid was burning with fever.

Ziva reappeared in her jogging clothes; she wrapped her arms around Tony from behind, "Are you sure you are okay with them for a bit?"

Tony nodded and turned his head towards his better half, "Go; take as long as you need, Sweetcheeks. Have a good run!" Ziva leaned in and met his lips with hers.

"Toda. I have my phone if you need me," she headed to the front door. Tali was so engrossed in whatever she was watching in her tablet that she didn't even look up as Ziva left. Her headphones probably also kept her from hearing her Ima go out.

An hour later, Ziva came home to Tali using her Abba as a pillow as she watched something on her tablet and Tony softly snoring with a sleeping Anthony in his arms. Tali noticed her Ima and took off her headphones.

"Hi, Ima! Abba fell asleep and I'm hungry. Are we going to eat soon?"

"Yes, let me call for pizza. Come on with me, so we can let Abba and Anthony stay asleep," Ziva motioned for Tali to follow her to the kitchen.

"Pepperoni, sausage, black olives, and double cheese," Tali quoted their usual order as her mother pulled up the number for the family's favorite pizza delivery place. Ziva ordered and was told the pizza would be delivered in about twenty minutes. She had Tali set out plates on the table as she poured glasses of water for herself and Tony and a cup of milk for Tali.

As the doorbell rang for the delivery, Tony yawned and opened his eyes. He shifted Anthony so that he could get up, and noticed Ziva heading to the door. His knees protested as did his back. He carefully laid the toddler on the sofa and stretched as he stood.

"Hi, Abba," Tali's voice at his side made him jump. She had definitely inherited her Ima's Ninja stealth skills. "Ima ordered pizza for dinner."

"Good; I'm hungry!"

"Me, too!"

Ziva came by with the pizza box, "Hot pizza! Beverages are already on the table. Is Anthony still asleep?"

Tony nodded, "Out like a light. I'll put him in his bed and be right back." He gently lifted the baby and carried him to his room. He put his lips on the little one's forehead; the fever seemed to have decreased some. Tony laid Anthony in his crib and turned on the baby monitor that connected to his and Ziva's phones. He padded out to the hallway and headed to the kitchen.

As they ate, Tony and Ziva talked about the plans that they had for the weekend. Originally, they were going to go to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA for the day.

"Guess we'll have to see how Anthony is feeling in the a.m. before we decide about the Air and Space Museum," Tony commented.

Ziva frowned, "I know that Tali has been talking about it all week. I would hate for her to miss out if he is still not feeling well. You could take her, and I will stay home with Anthony."

"Or you and Tali could go and I can stay home with the little guy," Tony offered.

Tali had been listening to her parents talking; "I want to go with Abba. PLEASE?" She made her best puppy eyes at her father and grinned. "Please?"

Tony looked at Ziva; she nodded. "Okay, Tals, it'll be you and me if that's what you want."

"Yeah!" Tali yelled excitedly.

"Inside voice, please," Ziva reminded her daughter.

"Sorry, Ima. I just got excited," the little girl apologized to her mother.

At Tali's bedtime, she chose a story about space exploration and chattered about the next day's trip to the museum. Ziva had to remind her that she had to sleep first to be rested up for the day's activities. Tali hugged Kelev as her Ima read the story and then sang 'Numi, numi.' Finally, the little girl was asleep and Ziva tip-toed out of the room.

She checked on Anthony who was still zonked in his crib. She double-checked that the baby monitor was on and then kissed her baby. The fever seemed to be slowly going away. Hopefully, it would break overnight and Anthony would feel more like his usual happy self in the morning.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny and unusually warm for October. Tali urged her Abba to eat his breakfast quickly so that they could get going. Anthony was more alert and ate some Cheerios while the others had pancakes and turkey sausage. Ziva hoped the food would stay down.

"Let's go, Abba," Tali urged as Tony finished loading the dishwasher. She tugged on his hand as father and daughter walked towards the front door. Tony helped Tali put on her jacket and then kissed Ziva.

"Have fun," Ziva hugged Tali. "Be good for Abba, yaldati."

Tali skipped out to her Abba's truck; Tony buckled her into her car seat and headed to the highway for the forty minute drive to Chantilly. He paid the parking fee and found a spot fairly close to the main entrance. Tali held his hand as the pair walked inside. She looked around wide-eyed at the aircraft and other displays.

"Wow, Abba, the planes are big."

"Yep, and we get to see aircraft of all sizes today. We'll see some spacecraft as well. There's an IMAX theater, some hands-on discovery activities, and two flight simulators that we can try. Let's start here, with the early aviation room and work our way around." He led her to the first exhibit.

They saw many aircraft and spacecraft; when Tony lifted Tali to look in the Gemini space capsule, she giggled.

"What's so funny, Tals?" he asked.

"I see feets," Tali laughed again.

"Feet?" Tony was curious. He put Tali down and stepped up to look in the window. There were indeed feet visible; the astronaut manikin was suspended to appear weightless within the capsule. The feet were near the window that the two were currently viewing.

The two flight simulators were for a biplane and the lunar lander LM module. Both enjoyed the simulations and Tali wanted to do the lunar landing again. Tony explained that their passes only included one ride for each simulator, but the next stop was the IMAX Theater.

Tali skipped ahead of her Abba to the IMAX entrance. They looked over the choices and decided to view the film about the Apollo 11 mission and moon landing. Tali sat with rapt attention for the entire forty seven minutes; Tony was proud of her.

The final thing they did was the hands-on discovery activities; an interactive exhibit with space-themed toys; a demonstration of the principles of flight and the aerodynamics of the wing of an aircraft; and a simulation of the experiments in the Space Station, including making the models seem to be weightless and float in the mock Space Station. Tali laughed at the rats she chose as they floated around the enclosed area.

"Does that hurt the rats, Abba?" she was concerned that the rats might get injured.

"Remember that those are not real rats, Tals. But I guess in the real Space Station, the rats would be in cages so they couldn't float around," he reassured his daughter. "And the real people who are in the Space Station have trained to be in space and experience weightlessness before they ever go up."

"Okay, Abba," Tali was satisfied with her father's explanation.

Before the pair left the museum to head for home, they stopped at the McDonald's inside the museum and had Oreo McFlurries. At the museum shop, Tali picked out two books, one about the Apollo 11 mission and one about the Space Station. She spotted the orange astronaut suit and ran over to the display.

"Please, Abba? Please, please? I could be an astronaut for Halloween," Tali gave him her best puppy eyes, knowing he would agree.

"Okay. Let me look at your shirt to see what size we need to get," he checked the tag on her shirt and found the same size in the space suits. He held it up to make sure it would fit. Tali was so excited she could barely stand still.

As Tony paid for the books and clothing, he spotted a plush Space Shuttle toy and he added that to the pile for Anthony.

The clerk handed Tali the bag with her space suit and put the other items in a separate bag. Tali held the handles of the shopping bag as if it contained gold. Tony grinned; he was glad his little girl was happy with her choices of souvenirs.

Once in the truck, Tali fell asleep in her car seat on the drive home. Tony looked back at his sleeping daughter, happily clutching her space suit bag. It was worth every penny for the smile on her face!

He pulled into the driveway and gently woke Tali, "We're home, yaldati. Let's go show Ima what we bought and all the pictures we took."

"Okay, Abba," she replied, still a bit sleepy. "That was fun. Can we have another day when just you and me go do something fun again?"

"Sure thing, baby girl," Tony grinned. "We can try to do something with just us two every other month or so."

"Love you Abba," Tali hugged her father after he hung up their jackets. She turned and ran towards the family room, her bag with the space suit in hand. "Ima! IMA! Look what I got!"

So definitely worth it, Tony thought with a grin…


	9. Looking Back - February 2067

Chapter 9 – Looking Back – February 2067

Beth unlocked the front door of the house she and her siblings had grown up in; her parents' home for forty nine years. Out of habit, she called out, "Hi, Ima; hi, Abba!" Silence greeted her; it was almost two months since her parents had passed on.

She carried her basket of freshly-baked bread to the kitchen and set it on the counter near Ima's marble cutting board. She glanced around the kitchen; memories flooding into her mind. Her eyes landed on the mug tree by the coffee maker. She walked over to the coffee maker to start a pot of coffee for after the meal.

Once the coffee was brewing, her hand wandered to the mugs on the tree. Ima's mug with the Israeli flag, once bright blue, now faded, but the stripes and Star of David still visible with a slight bluish tint. Abba's Ohio State mug, its logo no longer bright red, but more of a faded pink. The two hand-made pottery mugs with '_Ima_' and '_Abba_' etched in the Hebrew letters, that she and Riv had made at a summer day camp so long ago. She paused at the black mug with the US Marine Corps logo; Grandpa's mug. The man would be gone twenty six years in August; she still missed his hugs.

A noise from the hallway broke her out of her thoughts. She turned to see her older brother carrying a large crockpot into the kitchen.

"Hey, sis. Let me get this put down and plugged in to keep the stew warm until time to eat," Anthony grinned at his youngest sister. He put the plug into the outlet and set the crockpot to 'warm' mode. Then he walked over to his sister and the two hugged. "Grandpa's mug?" he noticed the mug in her hand.

"Yeah, just remembering…"

They heard the front door open and LJ called out, "I'm home! Riv's right behind me."

"In the kitchen," Beth called back. LJ appeared in the doorway with a tray wrapped in foil and a large insulated tote bag. He grinned at his siblings.

"Home-made cannoli; some vanilla cream, some chocolate, and some cinnamon," he opened the fridge to put the tray inside for later. "I used the recipe we found in Abba's things. The one that said 'Uncle Angelo's recipe for cannoli.' And, of course, ice cream " he put the two large containers of ice cream in the freezer. "One chocolate and one mint chocolate chip."

Anthony gave his younger brother a guy hug, "I say we eat dessert first." LJ patted his brother's back.

"Tali won't let us," LJ replied with a laugh. "I swear she sounds more and more like Ima the older she gets." He moved to hug Beth as the three heard the front door open again.

"In the kitchen, Riv," Anthony called out.

"How'd you know it was me?" his sister replied as she carried a large salad into the kitchen. "Could have been Tali, you know." Anthony let her put the salad on the counter and moved over to hug his sister.

"LJ said that you were right behind him, so I figured it was you. Besides, Tali texted me when I pulled in the driveway; she was having to drive to Arlington to get the one wine."

"I got the Yatir Forest Cabernet Sauvignon, finally! Also merlot, Chianti, and Bailey's for later," Tali spoke from the doorway to the kitchen. She held up two totes with the wine bottles and the dessert treat. The Israeli wine had been a family favorite for many years. Once her Abba had tasted that particular brand, he had declared that no other brand of Cabernet Sauvignon would be allowed in his house.

The younger four moved to greet their oldest sister; a group hug of the five DiNozzos ensued with some laughter and some tears. All five were remembering their parents, and could feel the presence of their Ima and Abba in spirit.

Tali broke the silence, "Come see what Anthony and I have been doing in the family room." She motioned for the younger three to follow her as Anthony stirred the beef stew before trailing after his siblings. She flipped the switch to turn on the track lighting above the family tree wall hanging. "We added the pictures to the tree, and put the pictures of Abba's family and Ima's family on the one side." She pointed to the new groupings of photos; all of the older pictures had labels to indicate who was in the picture, the date of the photo, and the relationship.

LJ examined the photos of the generations of Anthony DiNozzo name-bearers. "There must be some strong genes in our DiNozzo lineage; I am amazed how much all of the Anthonys look alike. Anthony, this picture of our grandfather with his brothers could be Abba, you, your son, or your grandson."

Rivka was looking at a picture of her Ima and Doda Tali with their Ima, her own Savta Rivka, her namesake. "Tali, your Avigail looks so much like our Doda Tali; and LJ, I can see a strong resemblance between you and Savta Rivka."

The five were silently viewing the photos and the family tree when Anthony's stomach growled loud enough for all of them to hear it. Five DiNozzos doubled in laughter as Tali did a classic Ima move by patting his stomach, and then headed to the kitchen. Tali pulled out plates, salad bowls, and bread plates. Rivka got five place settings from the drawer of flatware as Beth took five wine glasses from the cabinet. LJ pulled a tablecloth from the hutch and draped it over the dining room table with Anthony's help.

Soon the food was on the table ready to be served; beef stew from Ima's recipe, a family favorite for many, many years; a tossed salad with black olives and Italian dressing; crusty white bread, freshly sliced from the loaf baked just that morning; and the three kinds of red wine. Each one served him or herself. Once all the plates were filled, Tali tapped her fork against her wine glass.

"L'chaim! To Ima and Abba, who loved us and taught us to be strong individuals. But more importantly, who loved each other so deeply and on so many levels, that they seemed to be one soul in two bodies," she raised her glass of the Israeli wine towards the center of the table to meet those of her siblings.

"To fourth Saturdays, started by Abba and Tali many, many years ago, and always the source of many happy memories," Anthony added as he too lifted his glass of merlot towards the others.

Rivka lifted her glass of Chianti, "To family; my sisters and brothers, our extended family, those who have gone from this life. Ima and Abba created a family of the heart that grew in leaps and bounds and intertwined the branches to become one."

"To memories and happy times from years gone by," Beth lifted her glass of merlot to the toast. "To our ancestors, even though we never met them, they played a part in making Ima and Abba who they were."

LJ grinned, "To those who have become a part of this family, by marriage, by birth, by the heart. But mostly to Ima and Abba, because without them, we wouldn't be here." He lifted his glass of the Cabernet Sauvignon to the glasses of his siblings. All five touched together with a soft clink.

The five dug in to the meal, complimenting Anthony on the delicious stew and Beth on the home-baked bread.

"Your stew is delicious, Anthony, almost as good as Ima's," Riv complimented her older brother.

"Yep, almost as good," LJ echoed.

Anthony smiled at his siblings, "Yeah, it is pretty good if I do say so myself. But, it'll never be quite as good as Ima's. I don't have the secret ingredient!" At the questioning looks from his twin sisters, he added, "Remember Abba always said that Ima's secret ingredient was the love she put into her food."

They all turned a bit somber, remembering their Ima's cooking. Each one had favorites that Ima made on a regular basis. Each one also remembered a few flops; LJ mentioned the meatballs with lemon that Ima made ONE and only ONE time and they all chuckled at the memory. Abba's face had been priceless when he bit into the first meatball.

The five got quiet again as they consumed the delicious food. Rivka broke the silence after a few minutes by asking what each one's favorite fourth Saturday had been.

"That's a tough one, sis," LJ spoke up first. "I'm going to have to think on that for a bit; what are your favs?"

"It's hard to pick just a few, but I do have to put Abba in the princess dress as one of my top ten," she responded. "I think what he did that day was above and beyond but so totally awesome. How many fathers would put on a full princess outfit just for his kids?"

Beth chuckled at the memory, "Yeah, and when he helped that little boy put on a princess dress that was cool. I remember the other adults clapping when he came back with the kid. We really did go overboard in dressing him up for the pictures Riv. I mean the feather boa, the big fake jewel earrings, the tiara…"

"I wish I had been there," Tali commented. "We got to see the pictures, but it must have been even better in person."

"Oh, it was, believe me, it was," Riv chuckled.

"I'd have to say the Capitals hockey game where Ima got me in a headlock is one of my top ten," Anthony weighed in. "The tree top adventure was cool too. And the cave adventure, even though I got all muddy… Gosh, there were so many of them, I can't chose even just ten."

"Tell me about it. I think the time we talked Ima into going surfing at Ocean City was fun. She turned out to be better at it than we thought she'd be. Oh, and the hornet's nest in the kayak. Priceless," LJ added some of his favorites.

Tali had been quiet, listening to her siblings, and thinking over the many fourth Saturdays with her father. "I would have to put the very first one, with me and Abba at the space museum in my top ten. There were several times when we went to a play, or a movie, and the one time Abba took us to the opera.

"Gosh, thinking back on all those Saturdays, I wonder how many there were? Seems like a lifetime of memories for sure…"

Anthony swiped the screen of his phone and opened the calculator app, "Let's see, first one was in 2018, right?" He looked at Tali, who nodded. "Say five per year from 2019 to 2040, when LJ went off to SCAD; that's 105 right there plus the first one, so 106. Then we had them sporadically for the past twenty five years. Think two per year is accurate?" He looked to his siblings.

"I'd say three," Tali interjected.

"Okay; three per year from 2041 to last year. That's another 75; 181 total fourth Saturdays over our lives with Ima and Abba. That's a LOT of memories!"

Beth nudged her twin, "Remember that ice hockey mini-camp when we were twelve or thirteen? That was cool; we had a lot of laughs that day. I never knew Abba could be so graceful on skates, even hockey blades!"

"How could I forget? That's how I lost part of my tooth when Abba backed into me and my stick hit me in the mouth," Rivka grinned to show her chipped front tooth. "Ima wanted to get it fixed, but I saw the chip as a badge of honor!"

"One of my first fourth Saturdays with Ima was a semi-pro baseball game when I was three. Ima wanted to take me to see a game, but she didn't think I'd sit through a full nine innings of a major league game. The cool part was when Ima caught the foul ball with her bare hands and then gave it to me. I think I still have it somewhere in my office at home," Anthony reminisced. "When we got home, she wrote on it with a Sharpie: 'Anthony and Ima – Potomac Nationals – 26 July 2020.' I just realized that Abba was with all three of you; Beth and Riv, you were only five months old!" He looked at his sisters.

LJ had been listening to Tali and Anthony remembering their first fourth Saturday. "You know, Tals, you and Anthony got to have Ima and Abba to yourselves for a while until the rest of us came along. But I got to have Ima to myself after the rest of you left. I remember when she took me to breakfast before my first juried art show. I was a nervous wreck, but Ima got me calmed down. She spent the whole day with me for our fourth Saturday when she could have been somewhere else. Anthony, I think that was when you were at the basketball retreat with the high school team during your junior year."

"You know, I think we all have memories of a fourth Saturday when it was just one on one with Ima or Abba," Beth added. "What I think is the neat part is that each of us continued the tradition with our own kids."

Anthony nodded, "Yep, and my three have continued it to the next generation, although Kelly's Sean is a bit young to remember."

"Same for Levi; and I know that Elijah, El, and Noah plan to once their kids are a bit older. Chaim really enjoyed his fourth Saturdays with El; they called it a date with Abba," Tali smiled at the memories with her four.

They finished the meal and put the dishes in the dishwasher, and put away the leftover food. Anthony looked in the crockpot; only a ladleful of stew remained. He caught LJ's eye and beckoned him over with his index finger.

"Split it with me, bro? Not enough to take home," he asked. The two finished the remaining stew and Anthony set the crock in the sink to soak so he could clean it before heading home.

The five siblings took the rest of the wine into the family room. Each one glanced at the portrait of their parents over the fireplace and the urn with the ashes of Ima and Abba sitting on the mantel. It still felt weird to be sitting in their parents' house without them there.

Anthony opened the laptop computer he'd left on the coffee table. As his siblings chatted, he loaded the video he put together over the past month or so and picked up the remote for the large TV. He enabled the Bluetooth connection between the devices.

"Okay, ladies and gentleman, be prepared to take a trip down memory lane. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll remember things you forgot, and most of all you'll have fun," he announced to the others. He hit the button on the remote for the TV to pull up the input from his computer as he hit the play button on the screen.

Everyone turned their attention to the TV as Anthony explained that he had complied the videos he'd found in Ima's and Abba's computers, some of the DVD videos of holidays from when they were much younger, and newer video from holidays from his own collection. He did warn them that the whole show was almost three hours long, which none of them seemed to mind.

Halfway through, Anthony paused the playback so the five DiNozzos could get dessert. LJ put the tray of cannoli on the coffee table, and then scooped ice cream for each of the five. Tali poured Bailey's Irish Cream into glasses for each one.

At the end of the three hours, each one had cried, laughed, and hugged each other, and eaten cannoli and ice cream. Only crumbs remained on the tray and most of the ice cream was gone as well. The Bailey's bottle and all three wine bottles were empty. Two pots of coffee disappeared over the three hours.

Anthony shut off the TV and powered down the laptop as Tali and LJ cleaned up the dishes. Beth and Riv unloaded the dishwasher and reloaded the dessert dishes. LJ cleaned Anthony's crock and set it to dry in the dish rack. They shared a final group hug before each one gathered up things to take home and head their separate ways.

"Ima and Abba would be proud; we've stayed close over the years and even now, with them gone, we've made time for just us," Tali spoke softly into the group hug.

"Yeah, that's because we're DiNozzos," Anthony started the family motto, and the others finished it with him.

"And DiNozzos stick together like Superglue!"  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Two observers watched as the five (middle-aged) adult DiNozzo children hugged and recited the family motto. She nudged the man next to her, her soulmate, her completion, the man who had been by her side for over sixty years. He interlaced his hand with hers and turned to her, his soulmate, his completion, his everything._

_'We done good, Zi; real good. I couldn't ask for better kids; they still make me proud to call them mine.'_

_'Yes we did, Tony, yes we did.'_


End file.
